


Fallout

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 21:43:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2827088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gibbs and Tony finally get together, the team takes issue with it. Can they resolve the tension?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fallout

Tony DiNozzo stood in a darkened corner of the party venue, hands in his pockets, and seething with jealousy. The NCIS Christmas party was in full swing, and judging by the chattering and laughter audible over the music, a good time was being had by all, except Tony. Ziva and McGee were out on the dance floor, McGee twirling the former Mossad officer around, Ziva as ever graceful in her movements. Ducky and Palmer stood at the bar, Ducky regaling the Autopsy Gremlin with story after story, Palmer listening intently and laughing in all the appropriate places. Their other colleagues were either standing around talking, drinks and snacks in hand, or out on the dance floor enjoying themselves. But Tony’s attention was fixed on one couple holding each other close and swaying to the music. Abby had dragged Gibbs to the party and onto the dance floor, and Gibbs looked anything but reluctant to hold her in his arms, smiling and leading her around gracefully. And that was why Tony was jealous.  
   
He had been asking Gibbs to come to the party for days, getting a derisive snort in response every time. Gibbs didn’t do parties, and Tony should know that by now. This was Tony’s tenth Christmas party at NCIS, and Gibbs had never attended before, so why Tony had hoped this time would be different, Gibbs didn’t know. He was amused at Tony’s insistence, but wasn’t going to let the younger man talk him into it. But when Tony was shutting down his computer and getting ready to go to the party, trying one last time to get Gibbs to come along, Abby had shown up at his desk and simply whisked Gibbs away, and he had seemingly happily gone along with her. Glaring after them as they made their way to the elevator, Tony felt hurt and betrayed by Gibbs. He knew Abby was his favorite, but he’d also thought that Gibbs had a soft spot for him and the fact that he had gotten nowhere when Abby didn’t even have to ask except with her big pleading eyes, had cut deep. For a moment Tony contemplated just going home and licking his wounds, leaving the party for what it was, but then he’d been curious to see how Gibbs would behave at the party.  
   
So he’d followed the pair to the venue across the Yard and grabbed a drink upon entering, moving around the room until he’d found this darkened corner from where he could observe Gibbs. The man had been smiling at Abby, getting her a drink and even chatting with some of the others present, before letting Abby drag him onto the dance floor. They’d been dancing for nearly half an hour already and Tony’s jealousy had been rising with each passing minute. He wanted Gibbs to pay attention to him like he was to Abby, wanted to be the center of the man’s attention, wanted him to smile at Tony as he did at Abby, wanted to be in his arms. In all honesty, Tony wanted to drag the man home and be held by him all night long, be made love to by him. And he had for long years. That’s why he had been trying to get Gibbs to come to the party, hoping to loosen him up and see if he dared take the chance to let his boss know how he felt. Ten years of yearning was enough.  
   
Tony had been thinking about making a move for a while now. Where for long years he had never thought that his feelings would be reciprocated, Tony had been noticing Gibbs looking at him lately when he thought Tony wouldn’t see. And their verbal exchanges had been having a more flirty undertone than before in the past few months. Gibbs had invited him over for dinner more often than ever, and Tony was certain that he did not imagine the lingering of Gibbs’ hand at the back of his head after delivering a head slap to Tony. Yes, he was sure that there was something going on between them and that Gibbs wouldn’t kill him if he made a move, so he couldn’t understand why Gibbs had refused him with regard to the Christmas party, only to accede to Abby immediately.  
   
~~~~~  
   
Gibbs was actually enjoying himself dancing with Abby, but his eyes were scanning the room looking for Tony. He felt guilty for the way he had refused Tony’s constant invitations only to give in to Abby, but he hadn’t been able to resist her pleading eyes. Abby was like a daughter to him, and he would do pretty much anything to make her happy. And there was another reason he had refused Tony’s invitations, he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself if he went to the party with Tony. He wanted to hold the younger man close, kiss him senseless and drag him home, but the NCIS Christmas party, where they would be surrounded by all their colleagues, was not the time and place for that. So he had waived off Tony’s attempts to get him to come along, but had seen the hurt in Tony’s eyes when Gibbs let Abby talk him into it, and now he was worried. He had to make it up to Tony, but couldn’t find the younger man anywhere, and his worry increased with every passing minute. He needed to talk to Tony, explain, and hopefully he’d get to take the man home and finally have him.  
   
For the past few months, Gibbs had been letting some of his feelings show, to gauge Tony’s reaction. He’d been flirting back when bantering with Tony, and had let his hand linger after a head slap to feel the silken strands of Tony’s hair between his fingers. Tony seemed to lean into his touch when he did, and the younger man’s eyes sparkled when they flirted, so Gibbs felt that he may have a chance. It was a talk Gibbs had with Ducky one evening when he was over at the ME’s house for dinner that had at last made him decide to make a move.  
   
“And when are you finally going to give young Anthony what he wants, Jethro?” Ducky had asked him out of the blue after dinner.  
“What do you mean, Duck?” Gibbs had replied after moment’s silence.  
“Come on, Jethro. You love that young man. Ten years is long enough to keep your distance and ignore your chance at happiness.”  
   
Ducky had known about Gibbs’ infatuation with Tony from the start, seeing through his friend immediately, and had seen the depth of his feelings grow year by year. He also knew that Gibbs held back because of Tony’s reputation as a womanizer and that Gibbs had not wanted to interfere with Tony finding someone and settling down with them, maybe starting a family. But where Ducky had seen that Tony was not the playboy he made out to be, and noticed the longing looks the younger man gave his boss, he had never been able to convince Gibbs that his feelings were returned.  
   
Sighing, Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck and replied: “I know you know how I feel about him, but that doesn’t mean that he has feelings for me. No matter how much you try to convince me that he does. What would Tony possibly want with me?”  
“You infuriate me sometimes, Jethro. You are an honorable man, and despite what those ex-wives of yours have to say about you, you have a lot to offer. I have told you before and I will tell you again, that young man loves you. It is clearly visible in his eyes and in his actions.”  
“Enough, Duck.”  
“No, Jethro, I will not let you silence me on the subject this time. I am telling you, young Anthony wants you as much as you want him, and I am not prepared to stand by and let the two of you throw away your happiness any longer. He will most likely not dare make a move unless you finally start showing him how you feel. You can deny your own desires all you want, but it is not fair of you to deny him his. It is time, Jethro.”  
   
Gibbs had not wanted to speak about it further, but the conversation had lingered in the back of his mind. And he had started to pay closer attention to Tony to see if he could discover what Ducky was so sure was there. After a while, he had noticed some of the looks that Tony gave him, and had picked up on other small things Tony did for Gibbs that spoke of something more than just trying to please his boss on a professional level. Finally accepting that there might be some truth to Ducky’s observations, Gibbs had decided to see if he could have something with Tony. And so he had been flirting a little and getting into Tony’s space more, and brought him coffee sometimes, inviting him to his house for steaks or pizza more often, small things that were telling of his feelings if you knew Gibbs. And he had had the feeling that Tony was starting to notice. But Gibbs had not yet had the courage to take it further, the chance that he was wrong about Tony still playing in the back of his mind, not wanting to ruin the friendship he had with the younger man.  
   
But now, having seen the hurt in Tony’s eyes, he’d decided it was enough. He was going to find out how Tony felt and put an end to this limbo, one way or another. If only he could find Tony.  
   
~~~~~  
   
Tony headed to the bar to get a second drink, taking care to avoid Ducky and Palmer, then made his way back to his darkened corner to resume his surveillance of Gibbs. Returning to his spot, he looked to the dance floor and quickly spotted Abby, but she was dancing with Balboa now, and Gibbs was nowhere in sight. Where was his boss?  
   
~~~~~  
   
Gibbs finally spotted Tony as the younger man went over to the bar. Making his excuses to Abby, he left her in the capable hands of Balboa and made his way over to Tony. As he approached, Tony got his drink and moved to a darkened out of the way corner, from where he scanned the dance floor. As Gibbs got a drink for himself, he saw Tony focus on Abby for a moment, then start looking around, almost stretching his neck to be able to survey the entire room. Gibbs smiled. Was Tony looking for him? Well, he’d find him soon enough. Approaching Tony from behind, the younger man visibly startled when Gibbs said: “Hey, Tony.” Turning around, Tony faced his boss and took a sip from his drink before replying: “Hey, Boss. Having a good time?” He couldn’t completely keep the sarcasm out of his tone, and Gibbs noted it.  
   
Checking that they were unobserved, Gibbs decided to go for it. Knocking back his entire shot of bourbon all at once, Gibbs put his glass down and stepped closer to Tony. Then he reached up and cupped his hand to Tony’s cheek, running the pad of his thumb softly over Tony’s lips. Leaning closer to Tony’s ear, he whispered: “Tony… will you come home with me tonight?”  
   
Shivering at the touch to his lips and the warm breath of his boss against his ear, Tony stared at the man for only a moment before putting down his own drink and brushing his fingers over the man’s hand against his cheek. “Let’s go,” he said and turned to make his way out of the party, not needing to check that Gibbs was following because he felt the heat of the older man’s body at his back. They left the party without saying goodbye to anyone, and they left mostly unnoticed.  
   
~~~~~  
   
Following Gibbs to the garage and then driving over to Gibbs’ house behind the man, Tony’s mind was oddly calm. He would have thought that he’d be nervous, but now that the decision had finally been made, all anxiety seemed to have left him. When he walked into the house behind Gibbs, he pushed the door closed and leaned against it. Gibbs turned to look at him, and ran his eyes appreciatively over the younger man’s form, Tony doing the same to Gibbs. In two steps, Gibbs closed the distance between them and leaned in. The first brush of lips against lips was soft and gentle, and Tony slid his hands over Gibbs’ chest and abs to his sides, encircling his waist and pulling the older man to him. Gibbs at first cupped Tony’s cheeks again, only to slide one arm around Tony’s shoulders and the other into his hair. Stroking the soft strands, he felt a shiver run through Tony’s body and heard a moan from the younger man. Deepening the kiss, they took their time to explore each other, before Gibbs broke away and looked at Tony with a question in his eyes. Tony nodded and the two men made their way upstairs.  
   
In the bedroom, they slowly undressed each other, kissing and stroking the skin they exposed, until they finally laid down on the bed. Their caresses were almost reverent, and they took their time exploring each other’s hot spots, driving each other crazy with want, but keeping it slow, neither wanting to rush something they had both been waiting for a long time. Gibbs took his time preparing Tony, opening him up gently and thoroughly, until Tony’s begging at last made him line up and slide in. Tony’s eyes slid closed in ecstasy, finally having the older man where he had wanted him for years, and Gibbs marveled at the beautiful picture his lover presented, not really believing that he was finally his, that he was allowed to do this. Continuing to take it slow for as long as he could, Gibbs made his lover soar with pleasure before allowing his own release.  
   
Afterwards, they lay entangled together, Gibbs on his back with Tony plastered to his side, Tony’s arm over his waist and hand caressing his chest, Gibbs stroking through Tony’s hair and pressing kisses to the top of the younger man’s head every now and then. After a sigh of contentment, Tony spoke.  
   
“Why now, Jethro?”  
“Waited long enough, don’t you think?” “Too long. Was beginning to think it would never happen. But since when did you want to?”  
“From the beginning, Tony.”  
Startled, Tony raised his head to look his lover in the eyes. “Really?”  
A nod from Gibbs was the only reply.  
“But then why…?”   
Gibbs knew they needed to have this talk. Sighing deeply, he told Tony of his reasons for holding back, and about the conversation he’d had with Ducky that ultimately made him change his mind. Tony’s mind was reeling with the realization that they’d been dancing around each other unnecessarily for so long, and the fact that Ducky knew, but what was done was done and they couldn’t change the past, so he let it go with only a slight twinge of regret, content in the knowledge that they were here where they were supposed to be at last.  
   
“So what do we do now?” Tony asked after another moment’s silence.  
“Lay here a while longer and then make love again.”  
Grinning up at Gibbs, Tony leaned in to kiss the man’s lips before saying: “You know what I mean.”  
Serious in an instant, Gibbs asked: “How do you see this going, Tony?”  
“I don’t really know. I only know that now I have you, I’m never letting you go.”  
“As if I would ever let you. You’re mine now, Tony.”  
And Tony smiled at the knowledge that he finally was where he belonged.  
   
~~~~~  
   
In the end, it turned out to be easy. The night after the party extended into the weekend spent together, and after that weekend, Tony basically just never left. He went to his apartment to pick up clothes and other stuff from time to time, and before long, most of his belongings had migrated to Gibbs’ house. They settled into a routine together, knowing each other well enough to know when to give each other space and when to pull close. At work, everything remained the same, though the team noticed that Gibbs was a little less of a bastard, and Tony a little less of a clown. They settled each other, and without the constant unresolved tension between them, their work relationship became even smoother than before. They still flirted, head slaps were doled out when appropriate, and when Gibbs crossed the line on one of their cases, Tony told him off for it in front of the whole team. Gibbs fumed, but accepted the dressing down because Tony had been right. That evening they made love gently, forgiving each other for their behavior, and fell asleep curled around each other.  
   
No one knew about their relationship yet, not even the perceptive Ducky, but that was about to change.  
   
~~~~~  
   
It was a Saturday morning and Gibbs had taken Tony to the lumber yard to pick out some wood he would use to build shelves for Tony’s DVD collection. Tony pointed out the colors and patterns he liked, and Gibbs told him the pros and cons of each. Making a decision, they purchased and carried the supplies to the truck. Having loaded everything, Tony pulled Gibbs to him and with a gentle kiss, thanked him. From across the street, where he had been picking up a purchase of his own at the hardware store, McGee recognized first the truck, then the two men, and finally it registered what he had seen.  
   
McGee thought about it the entire weekend, and didn’t really know how he felt about it. It wasn’t that he worried about things changing at work, from what he saw he could tell that this was not their first time kissing, it must have been going on for a while now, and nothing had been different in the way the two men treated each other. It was about trust. He was supposed to trust Tony and Gibbs with his life, but apparently, they did not trust him with knowing about their relationship. And that he couldn’t easily forgive.  
   
Monday morning, McGee was surly and quiet, and Tony’s good natured ribbing only seemed to make him more so. He kept shooting Gibbs and Tony these looks that neither understood, seeming to be angry at them for something they had no idea of. Ziva and Abby noticed it too. The following day, finding McGee still in his funk, Abby and Ziva confronted him in Abby’s lab and asked what was wrong. Not able to withstand Ziva’s intense scrutiny and Abby’s prodding for long, McGee told them.  
   
“I saw Tony and Gibbs at the lumber yard last Saturday. They were… kissing!” Both women’s eyes widened and Abby squealed: “Was it hot?”  
“Abby…”  
“Sorry! So, they were kissing, what’s wrong with that? You’re not homophobic, so what does it matter if they are together?”  
Ziva looked thoughtful before she spoke. “You are upset that they did not tell us they were together, yes?”  
“Right! I thought that we were a team, that we trusted each other! And now, not only do I find out that they don’t trust us with them being together, I never even knew either of them was remotely interested in men. It just makes me wonder what else they haven’t been telling us.”  
Ziva nodded in understanding and seemed to consider it. “You are right, I do not appreciate secrets within the team. I think they should have shared with us their relationship.”  
“Guys,” Abby tried: “this is Gibbs and Tony we’re talking about! Of course they trust us! I’m sure they have a good reason for not telling anyone. You can’t think that they’d deliberately keep something important from us if they didn’t have a good reason…” But she sounded less sure the more she spoke.  
They stayed silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, then Ziva and McGee went back upstairs.  
   
That afternoon, Gibbs and Tony noticed Ziva shooting them looks as well, and when they went down to see Abby, the goth scientist was quiet and subdued, and spoke only the bare minimum. Wondering what was going on, they glanced at each other. They’d talk about it tonight.  
   
~~~~~  
   
That evening over dinner, they discussed the strange behavior of the team, and together came to the conclusion that they must have figured out about their relationship, and apparently were upset by it. Not understanding how they would have found out, or why it was so upsetting to them, Gibbs decided he would talk to Ducky in the morning and ask the man if he knew what it was about.  
   
Gibbs went down to Autopsy before the rest of the team arrived, knowing that the ME would already be in. Finding the man alone at his desk, Gibbs asked: “Duck, can we talk?”  
“Of course, Jethro. What can I assist you with this fine morning?”  
Uncomfortable speaking about his private life, even with his old friend, Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck before speaking.  
“You remember what we talked about a while ago when I had dinner at your place?”  
“You mean your feelings for young Anthony?” Ducky asked, surprised that his friend would bring this up when he had always been so reluctant to speak about it.  
“Yeah.” “Of course I remember. What about it?” “Took your advice.”  
“You mean you spoke to the young man?”  
“More than spoke, Duck.”  
Looking puzzled for a moment, understanding dawned on the older man’s face. “Ah. When?”  
“Couple of months ago. Since Christmas.”  
“You’ve been together since Christmas? Congratulations, Jethro, I am truly happy for you both!” Ducky exclaimed with a pleased smile.  
“Thanks, Duck.” Gibbs allowed himself a happy little smile as well.  
Seeing this was not all his friend had come to tell him, Ducky asked: “Is there a problem?” Gibbs winced. “Maybe.” And he told Ducky of the team’s behavior the past two days. “You got any idea why?”  
Ducky considered Gibbs’ tale and, having made his conclusion, shared it with his friend.  
“From what you’ve told me, I think you are correct in your assessment that this concerns your relationship. I surmise that young Timothy was the one who discovered it. Could he have seen something?” Thinking back, Gibbs said: “Not at work. We’ve always been careful not to change anything here.”  
Acknowledging that since Ducky himself had not noticed anything different about the two men either, he asked: “And outside of work? This weekend for instance?”  
“We went to the lumber yard Saturday morning.” Remembering the loving kiss Tony had given him in thanks for starting the project for his DVD collection, he barely kept himself from blushing. “We kissed there.”  
“Ah, so perhaps Timothy may have seen you two there. And he would have been thinking about what he had seen the remainder of the weekend.”  
Silent for a while to think it through, Ducky’s face suddenly lit up with understanding. He eyed his friend for a moment, realizing that Gibbs would not like his conclusion.  
“I think I understand, Jethro. If Timothy saw what you think he saw, he will be upset not at the fact of your relationship, but that you chose not to tell him. I think the issue is trust. Timothy does not like to be kept out of the loop. You know that Abigail and Ziva would have gotten him to tell them what had him upset, and I think they may have the same feelings on the subject.”  
Thinking about it, Gibbs realized Ducky might be right. “What do you think we should do?”  
“Talk to them, and sooner rather than later. Tell them the truth and regain their trust.”  
“Thanks, Duck.”  
   
As Gibbs turned and left Autopsy, Ducky knew this would be difficult for his friend. Gibbs was not one to talk much, certainly not about his private life. But he also knew that Tony would be at his side and that together they would be able to mend what appeared to be broken.  
   
Neither man noticed the slightly ajar door of the Autopsy washroom, nor the smiling face of Jimmy Palmer behind it. He had seen the two men at the Christmas party, and one look at the satisfied little smile on Tony’s face the following Monday had told him everything he needed to know.  
   
~~~~~  
   
On his way back up to the bullpen, Gibbs got a call from dispatch and they were off and running to the crime scene. Opting for two cars, taking Tony with him, Gibbs filled his lover in on his conversation with Ducky. Tony was silent for a while, processing, before he responded.  
   
“I think Ducky might be right. I never looked at it from their perspective, but thinking about it I think I would be upset too if I was kept in the dark about something that might influence the team. We should talk to them as soon as we can.”  
   
They decided to invite the team to their home as soon as they could, which turned out to be that Friday night. The case they’d been called out to was quickly solved and, reports written and filed at the beginning of Friday afternoon, Gibbs sent them home early with the request to get together for dinner at his house that evening. Reluctant at first, but coaxed into coming by Ducky, all agreed.  
   
Tony and Gibbs stopped off at the grocery store to get supplies and, once at home, Tony set about cooking a meal for the team. Gibbs sat at the kitchen table and watched his lover working, loving the way Tony moved around, sure and confident in what he was doing. Gibbs always took great pleasure in seeing his lover this way, and in the touches and kisses Tony laid on him every now and then as he moved around. They deliberately did not speak about the evening to come, wanting to get a feel for the atmosphere first before deciding on the course to take. When Tony was done with his preparations for dinner, they went to the bathroom and showered together, kissing and caressing, more to soothe each other than in passion.  
   
Showered and dressed, they went back downstairs and while enjoying a beer, Tony set about finishing dinner while Gibbs watched. Ducky was the first to arrive, Palmer in tow, deliberately early to stand by their friends. Palmer had confided in Ducky that he knew what was going on, and had spoken to Tony as well. Both men nodded in acknowledgement and appreciation of their show of support. The other team members arrived one by one, and were supplied with drinks while Tony continued cooking. McGee, Ziva and Abby talked to each other, not making an effort to include Tony or Gibbs, and looks between the two men and Ducky and Palmer told them that they should talk as soon as possible, before dinner, in order to clear the air if this evening was not to be a loss. With a nod, Tony turned down the oven and gas to keep dinner warm, and Ducky herded everyone into the living room.  
   
Once there, it was obvious that Tony lived here too now. Tony’s large television graced one corner of the room, his DVDs lying everywhere, magazines, laptop, his Ohio State hoody all speaking of Tony’s presence in the house. The team settled on the couch and chairs, Gibbs standing at the window, Tony facing them from the recliner. Tony began.  
   
“So, we get that you’re pissed at us.”  
Gibbs snorted at Tony’s blunt opening, but smiled at his lover when his words caused the three to look a little insecure instead of their previous self-righteous looks.  
“You found out we're together, didn’t you,” Tony continued.  
Nods from the three confirmed that at least.  
“We didn’t deliberately keep this from you. It’s not that we didn’t trust you, we were still trying to figure some things out for ourselves. We haven’t been together long, and we’re still getting used to it. We would have told you once we were clear on things ourselves.”

Moving to stand next to Tony, Gibbs squeezed his shoulder softly in approval. In just a few words, Tony had addressed the problem and explained. He just hoped there wouldn't be something else going on.

Glancing at the other two, Abby said: "See guys, I told you they trusted us! I told you they'd have a good reason for not telling us, and that it had nothing to do with not trusting us. Because they do trust us." Looking up at Gibbs, she asked: "You do trust us, right?"  
"Yeah Abbs, we trust you. All of you." Gibbs replied.  
Still looking uncertain, McGee asked: "How long has this been going on?"  
Glancing at each other a second, Tony answered: "Since last Christmas."  
Thinking back, McGee could not find any instance since then that the two men had behaved any differently with each other or with the team, and he nodded. "That's not that long."  
Ziva cut in: "I did not know either of you was gay."  
"We're not," Tony responded: "we just like each other."  
"Like?" Abby asked.  
"Love," Gibbs replied, and got a brilliant smile from his lover as a reward. Abby melted and rushed forward to hug them both, which was a bit awkward with Gibbs standing and Tony sitting, but somehow she managed. Thankful for her acceptance, both men gratefully accepted the hug.

"So how'd you find out anyway, Tim?" Tony asked when released by Abby.  
Blushing slightly at being busted and at the memory, McGee replied: "I saw you at the lumber yard last Saturday. You were kissing."  
Smiling at the memory, Tony stared into space and said: "Oh yeah, we'd just bought the wood for my shelves. Jethro's building these beautiful shelves for my DVDs…"  
Brushing his hand over the back of Tony's head at his dreamy expression at such a simple thing, Gibbs heard Abby squeal again before sighing: "You guys are soooo cute!"

Ziva meanwhile was looking suspiciously at Ducky and Palmer. "You two do not seem very surprised?"  
"I'm not, my dear," Ducky responded: "I have seen for a while that our friends had feelings for each other."  
Frowning at that, she turned to Palmer. "And you?"  
"I uhm… I…"  
Saving his stumbling assistant, Ducky cut in: "Mr. Palmer observed our friends at the Christmas party. He has known longer than I have."  
Abby got up and stood in front of Palmer, punching him on the arm. "And you didn't share??"   
Her indignant tone made the others laugh.

Trying to save his friend from Abby's revenge, Tony spoke again: "We're sorry if we went about this wrong, but please understand that we had some things to figure out too. We didn't deliberately leave you out of this. We do trust you, all of you." Both men looked at the three, conveying the truth in that statement.

McGee and Ziva glanced at each other once more, before McGee spoke: "It's okay, Tony. We understand." Ziva nodded in agreement.  
Looking up at Gibbs, Tony saw his approval, and said: "Thank you, guys. That means a lot to us." A nod from Gibbs. "Now," Tony continued: "shall we eat?"

They retreated to the dining room and Tony served his dinner, earning surprised exclamations and compliments when Gibbs revealed that Tony had made the delicious meal from scratch that afternoon. Tension gone, they enjoyed each other's company and the team shared knowing glances when they saw Gibbs reach out and caress the back of Tony's neck when he blushed at the praise, leaving his hand there and seeing Tony lean into the touch.   
Smirking, Ziva asked: "Is that why you have always done your best to get head slaps from Gibbs, Tony?"  
Blush deepening on Tony's face, the team looked on in amazement when Gibbs laughed out loud.

The evening stretched into a late night, and at last cabs were called to take the team home. Abby refused to leave until she saw a kiss, and Gibbs obliged by tenderly cupping Tony's cheeks as he laid a gentle but clearly loving kiss on Tony. The younger man's blush at being kissed like this in front of his team caused the others to smirk and tease him mercilessly. 

And if after that evening sometimes they noticed the looks between the two at work, they just smiled and were happy for their friends. When someone on one of the other teams made a scathing remark about the "special relationship" between Gibbs and his SFA, he found Ziva sitting on the corner of his desk, playing with her knives, and never mentioned anything about it ever again. When one of the people in HR started spreading rumors when she received the official address change Tony had had to register and recognized it as Gibbs' address, she found her mailbox acting strangely and sending out embarrassing messages to random agents, courtesy of McGee. Abby, Ducky and Palmer had their backs in similar ways. They were a team after all, and they protected and trusted each other.


End file.
